1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with providing a safe means for preventing hypodermic needles from being reused for illegal and unsanitary purposes as well as the safety of an individual who would come in contact with a discarded syringe.
At present, needle syringes come with a removable plastic or rubber cap over the end of the needle which prevents inadvertent pricking and assures cleanliness prior to use. It is routine practice for those using a syringe legitimately to replace the cover after use and prior to discarding it in order to avoid inadvertent pricking. As is well know, discarded needles are often obtained for illegal drug usage or are washed up on beaches with other refuse. These needles present a hazard to those using the beaches.
Of particular concern presently, is usage of syringes in drawing blood for evacuated blood collection tubes using hypodermic needles and how to prevent the reuse of the needle.
The present device provides a dual chamber cover for such needles. One chamber is generally similar to present plastic covers, and the second chamber in which the needle is placed after use contains a two component plastic resin and preferably a filler. When the used needle is inserted in the second chamber, the two resin components are mixed together and in preferred embodiments with the filler which causes the needle to be permanently encapsulated within the second chamber with the resin filling the end of the needle and the needle cast in the hardened resin and filler making it impossible to reuse the needle or be pricked by it.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,242--ALVAREZ discloses a cover for a hypodermic needle-syringe which has a longitudinal partition dividing the cover into a first chamber and a second chamber. One of the chambers is for conventional storage of the needle before use, whereas the second chamber has a longitudinal extending slot in the side wall for placing the used needle in the second chamber laterally to minimize the risk of a finger prick by trying to place the needle into the open end axially. The inner end of the second chamber is also provided with a needle-disabling, clogging or occluding material such as a soft rubber or plastic-like substance which is penetrated by the needle so as to lodge into the lumen of the needle thereby preventing the needle from being used for injection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,321--CHEN reference shows a syringe cap that has a hollow cap body at the end comprising an adhesive holding plug mounted slideably on the cap body and moveable between an extended and a closed position. Then the plug is moved towards the needle it becomes permanently cemented to the used needle by means of an adhesive held in the plug when the needle pierces the closed end of the plug.
The following patents are of background interest to illustrate various other efforts of prior technology attempting to make the usage o disposal of syringes needles safer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,772--SMITH, J. utilizes a cap with a longitudinal side opening to prevent finger pricking when recovering the needle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,320--CHEN discloses a syringe cap that has a slideable hammer body at the end which, when struck, serves to deform the needle and engage the end of the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,372--LAICO ET AL discloses an injection needle sheath which, after injection, is automatically activated to enclose the needle end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,699--GOLD discloses a syringe cover which is hinged at the base to uncover and recover the needle by hinged lateral movement and has a locking mechanism permanently securing the needle after use. The specification of this patent also includes an extensive list of patents and publications in this area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,020--KASUYA discloses a needle cap having a guide and tab handle for the cap to eliminate the danger of finger pricking.
None of the foregoing patents discloses or suggests the needle trap device of the present invention which safely and conveniently traps and permanently encapsulates the end of a used syringe needle within a hardened two component resin carried in a chamber.